A child is raped in South Africa every 3 minutes. This fund, set up by the makers of the film, The Lost Girls of South Africa, aims to highlight this issue and provide viewers an opportunity to directly help the girls in the film, and to find out more about organisations that are active in this area in South Africa. If you would like to talk to other viewers, and brainstorm other ways of helping the girls, then please visit our Facebook Group.
The Lost Girls of South Africa is a timely and revealing feature length documentary that offers a privileged glimpse into what life is really like for young girls growing up in South Africa. It follows the stories of four girls, aged 11-13, who become victims of child rape, looking at the experience and its aftermath through their eyes and in their words.
October 2010 update
Counselling
Thanks to the generous donations of viewers, we have been able to organise counselling sessions for all four girls featured in the film with two highly regarded clinical psychologists who specialise in helping abused children; both are based in Port Elizabeth. Thabisa is fluent in Xhosa and she will be having regular sessions with Ntombi, Fuzeka and Nozuku. Lynn speaks English and Afrikaans and will be counselling Gretchen. We are so pleased the girls will finally get the psychological help they so desperately need.
Fuzeka
At the time of filming, Fuzeka and her mother and sister had moved out of the family home to get away from her father. They have since been living in a nearby shack with no electricity or running water, but say they are happy. Fuzeka’s father recently died, so the threat he posed has now gone. We have been looking into the possibility of re-housing the family, but unfortunately do not currently have the funds to do this. However, using viewer donations we have paid for a new security gate and secure padlock for the family’s shack and are organising an extension to add two new rooms. The family is on a waiting list for a government house, but it could take 2-3 years for this to happen. In the meantime we will continue to look into ways we may be able to raise funds to re-house the family into secure, brick-built accommodation with water, electricity,etc.
Sadly on 19th March Fuzekas' mother Sheila passed away. At the moment Fuzeka and her younger sister are with her paternal aunts, their future is uncertain.
Ntombi
At the time of filming, Ntombi was living very close to her attackers and had to endure seeing them regularly. She has now moved to a brick-built house about two miles away and this has considerably improved her life. Although she is still in the same township, she is far enough away to rarely, if ever, bump into her attackers. They are still out on bail, and there is no news as to when their trial will happen.
Gretchen
Gretchen has moved to a smaller children’s home and is very happy there. She now occasionally sees her father under supervision and seems happy to be building up a relationship with him again.
Nozuko
Nozuko’s father, who at the time of filming was charged with killing his daughter’s rapist, is still out on bail, with no date set for his case to come to court; it could take years for this to happen.
We need ongoing donations to be able to continue supporting the girls. If you would like to make a one-off donation or set up a regular standing order, please follow the ‘donate’ link on this page. Your continued support is greatly appreciated.
